Many students never get the chance to travel out of the country -- let alone thousands of miles away to another continent. Many students do not get the opportunity to expand their cultural experiences overseas, while simultaneously broadening perspectives on life. \nThrough the Minority Achievers Program, this chance can become within close reach -- and at a low cost.\nThe International Scholars and Exchange Program, designed to assist under-represented minorities in higher education, will send three to four minority students to the island of Mauritius -- off the coast of Africa, while bringing a few students from the island to IU.\nDuring their four-week stay in Mauritius, students will take an interactive class and cover topics such as the economy and colonialism. They will also travel to schools, sugar plantations and factories to learn about Mauritius and its rich culture. \nIn addition to the general benefits of traveling abroad, the ISEP program intends to build self-confidence, develop cooperation skills and provide students with new perspectives on living, said Candice Lowe, graduate advisor and coordinator of ISEP.\n"By bringing American and Mauritanian students into contact with each other, we hope to awaken future leaders and promote lasting friendships," Lowe said. "We intend to expand their intellectual maps and help interconnectedness and their growing role in local and global communities, of which we hope they will play a socially responsible part."\nThe program is open to African Americans, Native Americans and Hispanic Americans, and an application and personal statement are required to become eligible. Program organizers emphasize that students wishing to take part in the trip do not have to have excellent grades or membership in MAP, but should have an open mind and a willingness to learn.\nAlthough cost issues commonly surface when deciding whether to travel abroad, the ISEP program sends the students to Mauritania for a strikingly minimal cost, due in part to a private source that allocates money for assisting minority students in education. On the trip, students are responsible for rent, living expenses and spending money.\nDuring last year's program, students did everything from learning the national dance "Le Sega," and interviewing fisher-women, to working on an archaeological dig and visiting a botanical garden.\nStudents also returned to the U.S. with knowledge of the Creole language and the Creole as a people. The Creoles -- an under-represented minority group in government, education and business, are struggling with the aftermath of what hundreds of years of slavery have done to them -- a history closely echoing that of the U.S.\nSenior Tiffany Benjamin participated in last years ISEP program and said she found a parallel existed between the Creoles and blacks in America -- she believes both groups are faced with tough situations.\n"We are all members of a global community facing similar problems," Benjamin said. "We all suffer the repercussions of hundreds of years of slavery and we are all fighting to succeed amid trying and difficult circumstances. What this trip taught me was that while living worlds apart, we all struggle with the same barriers and celebrate similar triumphs."\nFor senior Kathy Allender, her trip to Mauritius marked the first time she traveled out of the U.S. She realizes that Mauritius might not be as well known as other places to visit, but encourages students to have the experience of learning about the rich culture.\n"I know that some people may be discouraged because it's not a familiar place like Paris or Ghana, but they may be surprised of how diverse and beautiful the island is once they visit it," Allender said. "I learned a lot about Mauritius' rich culture and history, which in turn allowed me to view American culture in a whole new light, identifying and questioning our own customs."\nStudents who participated in last year's program also benefited by understanding another realm of going abroad -- embracing diversity.\n"My trip to Mauritius has taught me how to understand diversity because I have learned why people are different," junior Arnold Lane said. "People are different because they have different backgrounds, live in different environments, and have different values.\n"Once you take the time to understand this, you begin to really value diversity."\n
\nFor more information on how to apply for ISEP, Contact Candice Lowe or Chandra Baskin at the Minority Achievers Program located in Memorial Hall West - Ground Floor.\nApplications are due Feb. 22.



